Slide rule and indicator which can also be combined with boxes for medicines and other items

ABSTRACT

A cursor ( 151 ), designated to slide in a case formed by two thicknesses lying alongside the cursor, is formed by cuts parallel to the direction of sliding and by weak links designed to be broken by action on the cursor ( 151 ) in the direction of f 1  which causes its initial sliding; cuts parallel to the direction of sliding form elongate slots ( 153 ) running alongside the cursor ( 151 ) and each terminating in a stop ( 151 X) formed by the cursor and in a stop ( 121 x) formed by the material of the intermediate thickness ( 121 ) from which the cursor is formed; the two stops ( 121 X;  151 X) interact to limit the sliding of the cursor with respect to the case.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The device in question is designed to eliminate some typical stepsrelating to the manufacture and assembly of what are known as rules ingeneral (slide rules and indicators) which can also be combined withboxes to contain, for example, medicines. The term “rules” is taken tosignify all those devices (widely used in the fields of mechanicalengineering and pharmacology, and in scientific and promotionalsubjects) which, when a cursor is slid within a suitable envelope case,indicate data or carry out true mathematical calculations by thejuxtaposition of prepared logarithmic or decimal scales. The rule, asdescribed above, is commonly made from paper or plastic material orsimilar, since these materials are most suitable for the construction ofthis device, given that the envelope case is simply a flat surfaceprinted and folded on to itself at two or three points and fixed in thisposition either by a spot of adhesive or by a suitable insertion joint;at its upper and lower ends, this folded surface has an aperture whichcan receive what is known as the cursor and allow it to slide.

By sliding the cursor within the case and with the aid of suitableapertures (stamped out of the case if cardboard is used or transparentif plastic material is used) it is possible to indicate data or toperform easily calculations which would otherwise be more difficult toobtain (by devising formulae, using calculators, etc.).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the principal problems encountered in manufacture, whether on asmall business footing or on an industrial scale where the effects aregreater, is that of the insertion of the cursor into the envelope case,which in most cases has to be carried out manually. This is because thistype of product is commonly manufactured in small batches withoutcontinuity in time, commonly for promotional purposes, for which it iseconomically unsound to construct suitable machinery capable of carryingout the casing operation, with the further consideration that the rulescommonly vary rather widely from each other in terms of dimensions andcontent. In order to overcome this problem, which increases the time andconsequently also the costs of production, the device illustrated belowhas been conceived.

SUMMARY AND OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The device is designed to achieve the simplified assembly of rules orboxes including rules, made from paper or other similar materials, andsimultaneously of the structures containing them, by means of adistinctive development in the plane of the model to be produced and theconsequent appropriate preparatory stamping which, when paper or othersimilar material is used, enables a cursor slidable within a case to beproduced without the necessity of assembling the cursor manually withinthe case. This is made possible because the mechanical assembly iscarried out on the same printed sheet after a simple stamping operation,using commonly and easily used machines employed in the paper andcardboard industry (gluing and folding machines).

The customary device may be used to provide the preparation of a box orcasing wherein one or more rules form one or more walls of the box.

One object of the invention is to provide, at the same time as and inaddition to an easy operation of assembling the blank, an easy cursorfunction, preventing the exit of the cursor from the case forming thesliding housing during the cursor sliding operations, and in particularon the occasion of the first of these operations.

Another object of the invention is to make the sliding of the cursor inits housing very smooth and free of obstacles and impediments. These andother objects and advantages will be made clear by the following text.

The invention therefore relates to a device forming a slide rule andindicator—which can also be combined with boxes containing medicines andother items—which can be made from paper or cardboard, which comprises astructure having three thicknesses or panes, of which the two outer onesform a case and the intermediate one forms a cursor designed to slide inthe case; the cursor is formed by cuts parallel to the direction ofsliding of the cursor and by weak links designed to be broken by actionon the cursor to cause the initial sliding. According to the invention,cuts parallel to the direction of sliding of the cursor form at leastone elongate slot running alongside the cursor and terminating in onestop formed by the cursor and in one stop formed by the material of theintermediate thickness from which the cursor is also made; the said twostops interact to limit the sliding of the cursor with respect to thecase to the distance represented by the length of the slot.

The said two stops can be inclined with respect to the direction ofsliding of the cursor and with respect to the perpendicular to the saiddirection of sliding, to obtain an angle of less than 90° between theedges sliding with respect to each other. This facilitates the uniformsliding of the cursor.

It is also possible to provide slots running alongside the cursor on thetwo opposite sides.

It is possible to provide two slots running along one or each of thesides of the cursor, two outer stops formed by the sliding case and adouble stop movable with the cursor in the interspace delimited by thetwo outer stops; in this way the cursor can be moved in the two oppositedirections with respect to the retention position.

A slot may be made by forming a discard to be removed from the papermaterial from which the cursor is formed, or by a perimetric of theblank in which the cursor is formed along the perimeter of the blank.

The cursor may be integral with a closing tab of a box, this tab thusforming a convenient grip for sliding the cursor.

The weak links designed to be broken on the occasion of the initialsliding of the cursor may be formed along lines inclined with respect tothe direction of sliding of the cursor, thus preventing irregular edgesfrom sliding along each other; this facilitates the uniform sliding ofthe cursor.

In an embodiment in the form of a prismatic box, it is also possible toprovide two or more cursors on adjacent or non-adjacent faces.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses,reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter inwhich preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a sequence of steps of folding and gluing an exampleof a blank to form a box, FIG. 1 showing the face opposite what will bethe outer printed face in the finished box;

FIG. 5 shows the blank from the face opposite that shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the box partially formed, in a perspective view andin transverse section;

FIG. 8 shows in perspective the assembled box, open and with the cursorpartially made to slide;

FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12 show a sequence of steps of folding and gluing afurther example of a blank to form a box;

FIG. 13 shows in perspective the box shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, partiallyopened;

FIGS. 14 to 17 show a front view and a rear view of a blank for theformation of a rule with a cursor, and the rule in the process of beingfolded, in a perspectives view and in transverse section;

FIGS. 18 to 20 show a further example of a box in a configuration withthe blank flattened out and in one assembly step in a perspective viewand in transverse section;

FIGS. 21 to 23 show the blank of a box which has two cursors on twoadjacent faces, and a transverse section in an intermediateconfiguration during assembly and after completion of assembly; and

FIGS. 24 with 25, 26 with 27, 28 with 29 show the development of theblank and transverse sections through the assembled box in otherembodiments of boxes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 to 8 show a solution consisting of a prismatic box withprincipal faces or panes 101, 103, 105, 107 which form the body of thebox, being delimited by fold lines 109, 111, 113 and 115; two tabs 117extend from the face 105, while two appendages 119 extend from theorigin 107 and are used to close the ends of the prismatic box. A faceor cursor pane 121 which is treated as stated below to form the cursoris formed beyond the fold line 115; the face 121 is further delimited bya fold line 123, from which an inner face 125 extends. Tabs 127X, 127Ysimilar to the tabs 117 extend from the face 121. In the face 101 thereare formed apertures 129 positioned to permit the use and display of theindications which are formed in the cursor made from the face 121 in theway stated below. The tabs 117 and the appendages 119 are delimited byfold lines 131 and 133 respectively. The tabs 127X 127Y are delimited bylines equivalent to the lines 141 but having a different structure asstated below. FIG. 1 shows the box blank from the inner surface of theassembled box, while FIG. 5 shows the outer surface of the blank, whichis printed. In the drawing, and in particular in FIGS. 1 and 5, theareas moistened with adhesive for the assembly of the box are shown byhatching in different directions. Gluing strips 141 and 143 are provided(FIG. 1) along the longitudinal sides of the rectangle of the face 101on the inner surface of the blank along the fold line 109 and along theopposite terminal edge. Two gluing strips 144 and 145 are provided onthe face 125 along the fold line 123 and along the opposite terminaledge. Gluing strips 146 and 147 are provided on the face 121 along thefold lines 123 and 115. Two gluing strips 148 and 149 are provided onthe face 121 on the outer surface of the blank (FIG. 5), along the foldlines 115 and 123 respectively.

The cursor 151 is formed from the face 121 and extends from the foldline 131X of the tab 127X up to the tab 127Y across the fold line 131Y.The cursor 151 is slightly tapered at its lower end (as seen in FIGS. 1and 5) along inclined lines 131W to a transverse line 131Z; the lines131W and/or 131Z are partly cut and partly perforated or in some wayweakened to provide a link to the tapered end of the cursor 151, thesaid link being easily breakable by a pull in the direction of the arrowf1. The cursor 151 is joined to the tab 127Y along the fold line 131Y,only in the central area of the length of the side separating the face121 from the tab 127Y; on the sides of the fold line 131Y there are twofold lines 131Z, which are also (like the aforesaid lines 131W and/or131Z) weakened by perforations or by cuts or by reductions in thicknessof the paper material forming the blank for the box. These weakenedlines ensure the security of the link between the material of the cursor151 and the material or frame surrounding it, but make it easy toseparate the cursor 151 from the surrounding material or frame when aforce is applied to the cursor 151 in the direction of the arrow f1. Thepulling action in the direction of the arrow f1 may be exerted bygrasping the tab 127Y and pulling in the said direction of the arrow f1,in such a way as to detach the cursor 151 by tearing the lines 131Zand/or 131W. The cursor 151 is delimited laterally along its length bycomplete cuts extending longitudinally and parallel to the fold lines115 and 123 and by areas in which portions of material forming discardsare removed, to form two elongate apertures 153; the elongate slots 153are delimited by a stop 121X formed by the material of the face 121, andby a stop 151X formed by the material of the cursor 151. The face 121therefore delimits an extensive rectilinear longitudinal sliding area orframe opening and the cursor 151 has its transverse dimension reduced atthe position of the two apertures 153 and as far as the fold line 131Y.With this disposition, when the cursor 151 (linked securely to the tab127Y by the fold line 131Y) is pulled in the direction of the arrow f1,a separation is caused along the perforated or weakened lines 131Z and131W and it becomes possible to slide the cursor 151. The cursor 151 isable to travel but only to a limited extent, over a distancecorresponding to the extension of the elongate slots 153, between thetwo stops 121X and 151X in the conditions shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. Thisprevents the risk of extracting the cursor 151 from its sliding housing,particularly on the occasion of the first sliding, when the separationhas to be caused along the lines 131W and 131Z. The slots 153 can beextended over a longer distance than that shown in the drawing, since alimited length of the wider area of the cursor is sufficient for guidingthe cursor, so that a more extended sliding of the cursor is possiblealong the longitudinal cut lines which delimit the cursor and the slots153, but with secure guidance of the cursor along sliding lines whichare spaced apart. Clearly, the cursor operations will be carried outafter completion of the assembly of the box, when the cursor iscontained between the two faces 101 and 125, between which faces thecursor 151 is located after the assembly of the box as described below.The slots 153 are delimited by inclined terminal lines which facilitatethe sliding of the cursor in both directions without impediments; thisis because the angle between the longitudinal edge in the direction ofsliding of the cursor and the edge delimiting the stop which slidesalong it is less than 90°.

With reference to the sequence shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and with referencealso to the perspective diagrams 6 and 8, the assembly procedure is asfollows. The stamped piece as shown in FIG. 1 undergoes a first foldalong the fold line 123 to turn the face 125 over onto the face 121 andtherefore on the inside of the face 121, in such a way that the gluingstrips 144 and 146 and similarly the gluing strips 145 and 147 arejoined together; in this way the configuration shown in FIG. 2 isobtained. The two faces 125, 121 (joined together) are then turned overabout the fold line 115 against the face 107, to provide theconfiguration shown in FIG. 3. In these conditions illustrated in FIG.3, the gluing strips 148 and 149, adjacent to the fold line 115 and thefold line 123 respectively, are exposed. A following step of assemblycan be discovered by a comparison between FIGS. 3 and 4; in this stepthe pair of faces 103 and 101 is folded along the fold line 111 in sucha way that the face 101 comes to bear on the outer surface of the face121 and the gluing strips 141 and 143 are joined to the gluing strips149 and 148 respectively. In this way the loop consisting of the faces101, 103, 105 and 107 is closed, while the face 121 is located insidethe face 101 and the face 125, in turn, is located inside the face 121.The cursor is contained between the face 101 and the face 125 which arejoined by the eight gluing strips provided on the two surfaces of theface 121 along the fold lines 115 and 123. In these conditions the boxcan be bent to create the prismatic volume which can be formed by it.After the insertion of the contents into the box, the latter can beclosed by folding the tabs 117 and 127 through 900 with respect to thecorresponding faces and then by folding the appendages 119 on the topand outside of the tabs and by engaging them by their additionalinsertion between the tabs and the face opposite the hinge facedelimited by the fold lines 133 for the tabs 119. The box is thus closedin the same way as a conventional box.

When it is desired to open the box and also to consult the data,provided by the sliding of the cursor 151, the appendage 119 which isnext to the tab 127Y is raised; additionally, at least the tab 127Y isalso raised as shown in FIG. 6 so that the tab 127Y can be grasped withthe fingers and pulled in the direction of the arrow f1 (see also, andin particular, FIGS. 6 and 8) which causes the cursor 151 to be detachedfrom the three weakened linking lines 131Z each of which is in alignmentwith either the lower fold line 131X or the upper fold line 131Y; inthis way the cursor 151 is detached from the face 121, while the cursor151 remains linked to the face 121 during the assembly operations by thethree upper and lower weakened linking areas 131Z. The cursor 151 canthen be made to slide longitudinally by an action exerted again on thetab 127Y, as a result of which the desired readings can be taken throughthe slots 129, which enable the desired information to be obtained bythe sliding and positioning of the cursor 151 to appear and to be madevisible. The cursor 151 can travel as permitted by the slots 153 (whenthe discards delimited by these slots have been removed); the cursor canonly carry out limited movements, but is prevented from leaving itshousing which is formed between the two faces 101 and 125 and by theside walls of the cursor which are delimited by the longitudinal cutsformed in the face 121.

It should be noted that the blank is printed on a single side of theblank material, namely on the surface which is visible in FIG. 5, on thefour faces of the box and also on the surface of the cursor 151 on whichare shown the data to be made visible through the slots 129.

The box is assembled by entirely conventional operations of folding andof joining the gluing strips which are located on the inner face (thegluing strips 141, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147) and the gluing strips 148and 149 (which are located on the outer face).

During the operations of assembly by the described folding steps, thecursor 151 continues to be secured by the link—not yetbroken—represented by the three weakened fold lines 131Z, of which twolie on the fold line 131Y and one lies between the two portions of thelower fold line 131X.

The detachment of the cursor 151—to permit its sliding—can be carriedout easily by the simple breaking of the three weakened folding anddetachment areas 131Z in the way indicated above by pulling in thedirection of the arrow f1, after which the cursor is free to slide in aclosely guided way and within the limits provided by the length of theslots 153.

FIGS. 9 to 13 show a solution in the form of a box which is usuallyintended for one-time use, in other words to be disposable, for productswhich are consumed on a single occasion. The same reference numeralsused for FIGS. 1 to 8, increased by “100”, are used for equivalent partsof this modified solution, in which slots 253 equivalent to the slots153 are provided. In addition to the different transverse dimensions ofthe faces 203, 207, the box being relatively flattened in this case, themodifications comprise, in particular: the presence of indentations 301and 302 on the upper edges (looking at the drawing) of the faces 201 and225 respectively; the different positions of the upper and lower tabs217 and 227; and the different extensions of the upper and lowerappendages 219, these being limited to the dimension of the transversesection of the assembled box without the extension which can be foldedfor insertion along the opening edge of the box. The face 221, in whichthe cursor 251 is formed, has extensions 303X and 303Y modified as totheir shape with respect to the extensions which in the precedingexample are formed by the tabs 127X and 127Y. In the modifieddisposition, the box can be folded as shown by the sequence of FIGS. 9,10, 11 and 12. The portion 225 is made to be bent down against theportion 221 along the fold line 223 to join the gluing strips 244 and246 and similarly 245 and 247; the two portions 221 and 225 (joinedtogether) are then made to be turned over along the fold line 215, toobtain the configuration shown in FIG. 11; a fold is then made along theline 213 to move from the configuration in FIG. 11 to the configurationin FIG. 12 with the gluing strips 248 and 249 joined to the gluingstrips 243 and 241 respectively. From the configuration thus obtainedand illustrated in FIG. 12, the box can be formed by folding along thefold lines 209, 211, 213, 215. When the prismatic configuration of thebox has been obtained, the extensions 303X and 303Y are folded, and thenthe tabs 217 and 227 are folded and bent down on to the extensions 303Xand 303Y, as shown in FIG. 13; or, conversely, the tabs 217 and 227 maybe bent down first and the extensions 303X and 303Y may be bent down onto them afterwards. Finally, the appendages 219 are bent down and fixedwith gluing spots 270 either on to the tabs 217 and 227 or on to theextensions 303X and 303Y.

When the box is to be opened, the extension 219 nearer the extension303Y next to the indentations 301, 302 is raised, so that the gluingspots 270 are separated and the tabs 217 and 227 can be raised; tooperate the cursor 251, the extension 303Y which is linked to the cursor251 by the fold line 231Y (which is not weakened) is raised; theextension 303Y is then grasped and the cursor is acted on in thedirection of the arrow f11 to detach the three weakened areas 231Z orequivalent; the cursor 251 can again be slid to consult the data on itthrough the slots 229 equivalent to the slots 209. The contents may beextracted from the box which has been opened in this way. A moreconvenient grip on the cursor 251 is provided by the indentations 301,302, in addition to the surface provided by the extension 303Y, or withthe separation of the said extension 303Y from the cursor 251 by theoperation of raising the extension 219 which has been glued at the areas270 to the extension 303Y, and with action on the areas of the cursor251 which are left exposed by the two indentations 301, 302.

FIGS. 14 to 17 show the construction of a rule to be used separatelyfrom a box. The cardboard blank comprises three faces 401, 403, 405,delimited by two fold lines 407 and 409. The faces 401 and 403 havesemicircular notches or indentations 410, 412 and 414, 416, which arebrought together in pairs by folding along the line 407. The face 403has reading apertures 418. The face 405 has two pairs of rectangularslots 420, aligned two by two and extending parallel to the fold lines407 and 409; the outer longitudinal sides of the apertures 420 formguide edges 420A, and the inner longitudinal sides 422B, opposite theedges 420A, delimit the cursor 422 formed from the face 405. The fourapertures 420 are further delimited by four outer appendages 424 formingan integral part of the face 405 (divided into two portions by thecursor 422), and by two intermediate appendages 426 forming an integralpart of the cursor 422. The said four appendages 424 are linked to thecursor 422 by lines of incomplete cutting 428, aligned with the edges ofthe longitudinal sides 422B; the two intermediate appendages 426 arelinked to the two portions of the face 405 by lines of incompletecutting 430, aligned with the guide edges 420A.

The three faces 401, 403, 405 (the last of these comprising the part 422forming the cursor) are printed on their sides shown in FIG. 14, whilethe opposite sides, shown in FIG. 15, of the faces 403 and 405 havegluing areas 432, 433 and 434, 436 respectively.

By folding the face 405 (with the cursor 422) along the fold line 409,the areas 434, 436 on the side of the face 401 shown in FIG. 15 areglued down; then, by folding the face 403 along the fold line 407, theareas 432, 433 along the portions of the face 405 running alongside thecursor material 422, outside the apertures 420, are glued down.

The cursor 422 is contained between the two faces 401, 403, and istemporarily retained by the lines of incomplete cutting 128, 130, andpartially exposed at the positions of the corresponding semicircularnotches or indentations 412, 416, through which the cursor can begripped and made to slide parallel to the fold lines 407, 409 along theedges 420A, 420B, after the cursor has been separated along the weaktemporary link lines 428, 430.

The rules and the boxes made as described above provide noteworthyadvantages, since, among other considerations, they make it possible:

1) to print sheets of cardboard (or other material) on one side only, inother words on the side shown in FIG. 14, which in itself yields aconsiderable economic advantage;

2) to keep all the gluing surfaces on a single side (on the side shownin FIG. 15, opposite the printed side), thereby providing a furtheradvantage;

3) to use conventional folding and assembly operations to produce therule which provides the envelope case and cursor in a single unit;

4) to form stops to prevent the accidental removal of the cursor fromits sliding case;

5) to carry out, with simple folding machines (commonly used in thepaper and cardboard industry for mechanized production of boxes, casesor other items) the gluing and folding operation, on completion of whichthe rule is assembled and ready for use without the need to carry outany supplementary operation.

To use the rule, for example, the user simply has to apply a gentleinitial pull to release the cursor from the thin fixing points and tomake it slide in the desired direction. Owing to the presence of theindentations 410 to 416, formed by semicircular voids, it is possible togrip the edges (upper and lower) of the cursor 422, pulling on these andthus causing the tearing of the weak link areas 428, 430 and thedetachment of the cursor, and consequently causing, by pulling, themovement of the cursor; this makes it possible, through the appropriateslots 418 on the face 403, to read the data printed on the cursor and todisplay data or, by using calibrated logarithmic scales, to obtaincalculations of various types and significance, suitably printed on oneside of the cursor.

The outer appendages 424 act as four stop flaps for the cursor,interacting with the intermediate appendages 426 in such a way as tolimit the travel of the cursor and to prevent it from leaving the caseformed by the two faces 403, 401. By changing the positions of theappendages, the travel of the cursor 422 can be varied in bothdirections.

The rule may also be made so that data can be read from the two oppositesides of the rule. In this case, it is necessary to print the cardboardon both sides and to provide slots additionally in the face 401 (as wellas in the face 403), to permit the display of the printed data on bothfaces of the cursor.

Further developments of the invention may permit the preparation of boxstructures made from paper or similar materials which contain rules inboxes of various shape (with square, triangular, hexagonal or othercross-sections) and which may also have two or more rules.

FIGS. 18 to 20 show a solution in the form of a box similar to thatdescribed previously with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8; the cursor is madesubstantially as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. Faces 502, 504, 506, 508, 510and 512 are provided; the cursor 514, having a shape similar to thatprovided in FIGS. 14 to 16, and having apertures 520 running alongsideit, is formed in the face 510; the various faces 502 to 512 are foldedas shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. The box can be formed with the use of onlythree gluing strips, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 20, creating thesliding case for the cursor 514 with the faces 502 and 512.

FIGS. 21 to 23 show a solution in the form of a box in which two cursorsare provided on two faces, which in the example are adjacent; differentpositions of the two cursors may also be provided and/or more, than twocursors may also be provided. In the drawn example, the numerals 602,604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614, 616 indicate the same number of faces, ofwhich the faces 610 and 612 form two cursors 618 and 620, formed forexample as in the example shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, with apertures 640and 642 running alongside them; the faces 602, 604 have the aperturesfor reading the data printed on the cursors; the faces 602, 604, 606,608 form the outer surfaces of the box, which can be printed togetherwith the cursors, the whole of the printing being done on the same sideof the blank. To secure the box after the folding operations shown inFIGS. 22 and 23, at least the gluing strips 622, 624 and 626 are used,and preferably also gluing strips 628 and/or 630 and/or 632, all ofthese being indicated by the hatched thicknesses in FIGS. 22 and 23.

FIGS. 24 and 25 show a solution in which the cursor is formed with asingle longitudinal aperture (or pair of longitudinal apertures),instead of with two apertures (or pairs of apertures) running alongsidethe cursor on opposite sides of it to form the sliding edges. Accordingto FIGS. 24 and 25, a box is formed with six faces 702, 704, 706, 708,710, 712 of which the faces 702, 704, 706, 708 form the sides of thebox; the face 702 has reading slots 714, while the cursor 716 is formedfrom the material of the face 710. To form the cursor 716, a singlelongitudinal cut 718 is made on one side, while on the opposite side ofthe cursor 716 two parallel longitudinal cuts 720, 722 are made,delimiting a longitudinal aperture 724 which is further delimited by astop 726 on the face 710 and by an opposing stop 728 on the cursor 716;the aperture 724 creates a single discard. The two stops 726, 728interact to limit the travel of the cursor and to prevent it fromaccidentally leaving the sliding case delimited between the two faces702 and 712 and by the two cutting lines 718 and 722. The printing iscarried out on one face of the blank (on the faces 702, 704, 706, 708and 710) while gluing strips are distributed on the opposite face asindicated by the hatching (FIG. 25) on the faces 702 and 710.

FIGS. 26 and 27 and FIGS. 28 and 29 show further embodiments, which aremodified—with respect to the preceding examples—to obtain the stopslimiting the cursor travel while avoiding the necessity of creatingpaper discards, in other words waste pieces, which are formed to createthe elongate apertures such as the apertures 153, 253, 420, 724 andequivalent; in this way, production is further simplified. To achievethis, the cursor is made to be formed along the perimeter of the blank,instead of in an intermediate position of ore face of the rule or of thebox.

In FIGS. 26 and 27, the blank of a box has faces 802, 804, 806, 808, 810and 812, and a gluing tab 814. The slots 816 for reading the dataprinted on the cursor are formed in the face 808. The cursor 818 isformed in the face 812, which is in the end position of the group offaces 802 to 812. The said cursor 818 is delimited by a longitudinalcutting line 820 (which forms sliding edges) and by a cut 822, 822Aparallel to and opposite the cut 820; the part 822 of the said cut islocated along the perimeter of the blank, between a stop 824 formed bythe cursor 818 and a stop 826 formed by a portion 812A of the face 812and delimited by the cutting line 822A. The cut 822 and the two stops824 and 826 create an indentation 830 which has the same function as anaperture running alongside the cursor. The two stops 824 and 826interact to limit the travel of the cursor 818 in the direction of thearrow f818 and thus to prevent the cursor 818 from accidentally leavingits sliding case, which is delimited by the two faces 810 and 808, thecut 820, the cut 822A in the side of the portion 812A and the fold line828 between the two faces 808 and 810. Printing is made to be carriedout on the faces 808, 806, 804, 802 and on the cursor 818 or the sameside of the blank, and the gluing strips are distributed on the oppositeside of the said blank, as indicated by the hatching in FIG. 27.

FIGS. 28 and 29 show a variant of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 26 and27. Parts corresponding to those of the embodiment in FIGS. 26 and 27are indicated in FIGS. 28 and 29 with the same reference numerals usedin FIGS. 26 and 27, increased by “100”. The variant relates to theformation of the stop 926 (having the same function as the stop 826) tointeract with the stop 924 (equivalent to the stop 824). In the saidvariant, the cut 922 does not delimit a portion such as the portion812A; the stop 926 is formed from an appendage 908A of the face 908,which is folded about the fold line 930 against the face 908 and gluedthere; this appendage 908A therefore comes to be located—when the box isassembled—between the two faces 908 and 912 (exactly as the portion 812Ais located between the two faces 808 and 812), thus creating the stop926 and the guide 922A in the same position and with the same functionsas the stop 826 and the guide cut 822A between the faces 808 and 812.

It is to be understood that the drawing shows only an example providedsolely as a practical demonstration of the invention, which inventionmay be varied in its forms and dispositions without departing from thescope of the guiding concept of the invention. Any presence of referencenumerals in the attached claims has the purpose of facilitating thereading of the claims with reference to the description and to thedrawing, and does not limit the scope. of the protection represented bythe claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Device forming a slide rule and indicator, beingmade of laminar material, comprising a portion including tree layeredthicknesses of which two outer ones of said thicknesses form a case andan intermediate one of said thicknesses forms a cursor designed to slidein the case, characterized in that the cursor is formed in saidintermediate thickness by cuts parallel to the direction of sliding ofthe cursor and by weak links designed to be broken by action on thecursor which causes its initial sliding, and that said cuts parallel tothe direction of sliding of the cursor form an elongate slot runningalongside the cursor and terminating in a cursor stop formed by thecursor and a frame stop formed by the material of the intermediatethickness from which the cursor is formed, the two stops interacting tolimit the sliding of the cursor with respect to the case.
 2. Deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the two stops are inclinedwith respect to the direction of sliding of the cursor and with respectto the perpendicular to the said direction of sliding, to obtain anangle of less than 90° between the edges which slide with respect toeach other.
 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that saidelongated slot is formed with another cut parallel to the direction ofsliding and with removal of a discard.
 4. Device according to claim 1,characterized in that said elongated slot is formed by a perimetricshaping of the intermediate thickness, in which the cursor is formedalong the perimeter of the intermediate thickness.
 5. Device accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the cursor is integral with a closingtab which forms a gripping surface for the sliding of the cursor. 6.Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the weak linksdesigned to be broken on the occasion of the initial sliding of thecursor are formed along lines which are inclined with respect to thedirection of the sliding cursor.
 7. Device according to claim 1,characterized in that said outer ones of said thicknesses form the wallof a box.
 8. A box including a device forming a slide rule and indicatoraccording to claim
 1. 9. A device in accordance with claim 1, furthercomprising: another elongated slot running alongside the cursor andformed by said cuts, said elongated slot and said another elongated slotbeing arranged on opposite sides of the cursor.
 10. A device inaccordance with claim 1, wherein: said case includes another frame stop,said frame stop and said another frame stop form two outer stops of saidelongated slot; said cursor stop is movable in an interspace delimitedby the two outer stops, said cursor stop divides said elongated slotinto first and second apertures.
 11. A prismatic box made of laminarmaterial, the box comprising: a plurality of walls; one of saidplurality of walls of said box is formed by a ruler having a portionincluding three layered thicknesses two of which form an outer surfaceand an inner surface of said wall and together form a case for a cursorand an intermediate one of said thicknesses forms said cursor designedto slide in said case; the cursor is formed in said intermediatethickness by cuts parallel to the direction of sliding of the cursor andby weak links designed to be broken by action on the cursor which causesits initial sliding; and said cuts parallel to the direction of slidingof the cursor form at least one elongate slot running alongside thecursor and terminating in a stop formed by the cursor and a stop formedby the material of the intermediate thickness from which the cursor isformed, the two stops interacting to limit the sliding of the cursorwith respect to the case.
 12. A box according to claim 11, wherein:another one of said plurality of walls of said box is formed by a rulerhaving a portion including three layered thicknesses two of which forman outer surface and an inner surface of said another of said walls andtogether form another case for another cursor and an intermediate one ofsaid thicknesses of said another wall forms said another cursor designedto slide in said another case; said another cursor is formed in saidintermediate thickness of said another wall by cuts parallel to thedirection of sliding of the another cursor and by weak links designed tobe broken by action on the another cursor which causes its initialsliding; and said cuts parallel to the direction of sliding of theanother cursor form another elongate slot running alongside the anothercursor and terminating in another stop formed by the another cursor andanother stop formed by the material of the intermediate thickness fromwhich the another cursor is formed, the two another stops interacting tolimit the sliding of the another cursor with respect to the anothercase.
 13. A slide rule arrangement comprising: a first pane; a secondpane arranged adjacent to said first pane, said first and second panesforming a case; a cursor pane arranged in sad case, said cursor paneincluding a cursor and a frame surrounding said cursor, said framedefining a frame open said cursor being arranged in said frame opening,said frame opening and said cursor having a shape to cause said cursorto be movable in said frame opening, said case and said shape of saidframe opening and said cursor blocking removal of said cursor from saidcase, said cursor and said frame being connected by links which arebreakable to cause said cursor to be slidable in said case.
 14. Anarrangement in accordance with claim 13, wherein: said shape of saidframe opening and said cursor cause said cursor to be slidable back andforth along only one direction, said shape of said frame opening andsaid cursor limiting sliding of said cursor in said one direction. 15.An arrangement in accordance with claim 14, wherein: said shape of saidframe opening and said cursor include longitudinal sides substantiallyparallel to said one direction and adjacent to each other.
 16. Anarrangement in accordance with claim 13, wherein: said shape of saidframe opening and said cursor define a slot between said frame openingand said cursor.
 17. An arrangement in accordance with claim 13,wherein: said first, second and cursor panes form a homogenous sheet.18. An arrangement in accordance with claim 17, wherein: said first,second and cursor panes are connected by fold lines.
 19. An arrangementin accordance with claim 13, further comprising: a plurality ofadditional panes connected to said first and second panes to form acontainer, said case forming one side of said container.